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man of aran's avatar

The grand Italy of meanwhile.

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Catherine Wallace's avatar

I'm trying to understand what this means...I'm thinking that it means that the use of the word 'meanwhile' is beautified & overused. (I don't mean to insult Italy at all, by the way. Never been there & really want to experience its beauty & the people's culture there.) Could someone enlighten me, please? Its a beautiful poem & speaks to me on many levels & I truly want to understand it! Thank you for your help in advance. :)

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man of aran's avatar

I take it in the context to be a great compliment to Italy, associated with the Roman Empire, the Renaissance, etc. such that our sense of ourselves being an insignificant aside or distraction in the vastness of the universe, ie our 'meanwhile' status, has an equivalent meaning and beauty and significance. What Italy produced was 'grand', yet temporary, as are we. It's wonderful that he chose Italy. I don't mind being 'exalted' by it.

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Catherine Wallace's avatar

Thank you very much for your take on it. I see your perspective. :)

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Maha's avatar

The lamb is born into

happiness

and is eaten at Easter.

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Dian Parker's avatar

My god, I love Gilbert. Thank you for this.

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Patris's avatar

The beauty of the temporary when finite is the meal we’re offered. Beautiful.

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Heidi Kaplan's avatar

Enticingly good work .

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Lori Wallace's avatar

There is profound truth in this poem . . so much shatters the psyche awake . . and then we make music . .

We are a singularity that makes music out of noise

because we must hurry. We make a harvest of loneliness

and desiring in the blank wasteland of the cosmos.

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Kerry Bart-Raber's avatar

Robbie Robertson : we shall live again, .... Ghost Chiefs .... is it Indegenous blood flow - Mother Earth : she inducts and su ducts as she is doing in Hawaii -

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Kerry Bart-Raber's avatar

Robbie Robertson- has just passed -listening to his drum beat ...

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Nate's avatar

Damn. Where have I been all my life. I have missed out on beautiful people, beautiful insight, beautiful thought.

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M Sarki's avatar

I love Jack Gilbert poetry. 👍

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June Lowboy's avatar

I wish to convey my sincere appreciation for the depth of consideration and the concentration reflected in your illuminating discourse. Your vantage point has not escaped my discerning attention, and I hold it in the highest regard.

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June Lowboy's avatar

“Lo, we make a strawberry from a harp/ in sound waves—an Italian shore. I remember/ Jennifer, or was it Jeremy, asscheeks,/ Plundered in the swells? Cisily, or the Trojan/ Horse, an offering either might report.”

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June Lowboy's avatar

This is Jack’s Corso poem or his Bukowski worst. Gordon despised it!

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June Lowboy's avatar

Oh, of all Jack’s poems, you choose this one?

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Poetic Outlaws's avatar

You're starting to become a bit annoying. I can tell you're probably a product of the institution. It's quite obvious.

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Kerry Bart-Raber's avatar

George Carlin also said it best : the Planet is going to shake us off like a bad case of fleas , ...

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poloniousmonk's avatar

I can't find another way to make words happen that anyone here might read [where's the DM button?], but I have an outlaw poem of my own despite being painfully prosaic and prone to abandoning steaming piles of doggerel. Maybe someone will like.

https://poloniousmonk.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/125328300?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts

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